AFK
AFK 101 Ok well i gave a preaty basic run down in a previous post bout how I select an AFK spot, and also in the same post I said I would not tell where I do it to anyone except those that I know. And so this is a pre-emtive stike against people bothering me in game with questions on the subject and also as an effort to keep certian area's from getting over ran with people doing this. First and formost I have with much sucess with done this since I obtained my first pet with siphon life. In fact I have breezed through a couple of these levels rather quickly doing this. But that only occurs within the first level or two after obtaining your new pet. After a certain point there becomes too much risk for too little benifit. I have also tried to do this while grouped with other pet class casters and the enchanters have problems with the fact that there pets are so much lower than their character level. And magicians might have some sucess with pets that heal but the pets at my current level seem to be too soft to do this with sucess. I have sucessfully done this while grouped with another necro, but even this has some disadvantages...after all should one of you go LD or experience lag the agro would then be turned on the people you're grouped with, and this technique is a delicate balance and such an event and you'll return with you character at your current favorite spirtmaster, and for the most part you don't get enough XP to justify unecessary chances. After all if grouped your exposure to the bad stuff is then doubled. So what to look for in a spot: 1) Mobs that are of an approperate level. For example a level 24 pet means that you'd want to find Mob's that spawn lvl 20-23. In my experience most static spawn points will spawn creatures of three different levels (though this is not necessarly the case everywhere). This way you know your pet is a bit stronger than those they are going against. 2)Do the Mob's run. If the spawn you are thinking about doing this on start to run when they're bout to die it's not a good idea, you will at best draw adds at worst it will heal and come full strenth with your pet half dead already. 3) They shouldn't cast DoT's this will limit your pets HoT it needs to get ready for the next one while the corpse decays. 4)is there a safe place to stand with no wandering Mob's. Remember often there are patrolling Mob's with regular routes, it is possible to find a place to draw a sentry type guard with one that passes near the spawn point without drawing the patroller. Also patrollers are possible too but my opion is that for the safest spots with these types are usually away from there spawn point and thus will add to the lenght of time between kills, so though they might do in a pinch I wouldn't stay on one of these for any lenght of time. 5)Is there alot of people that grind in the area. I wouldn't recomend spots at the Prison, DFC, croc island, bandits or other areas where there are lots of other players around. Should one decide to loot your corpse again your pet hasn't healed fully when the next one spawns. you also run the risk of being trained, and last but not least others might use you to get the critic hit then KS your spawn (1st time I saw this was today). Likewise I wouldn't recomend areas that are involved with quests for the same reasons, though some quest areas might be safer than others, I doubt area's that are halfling warrior specific quests would be terribly dangerous. 6)Does the spawn occur within a reasonable amount of time. It shouldn't take more than 5 minutes for your pet to kill and then heal and then get the next spawn. There is also the ability to do this with wildlife, infact my first atttempts were in N kithakor woods with the mushroom men there, hummm didn't work. Too many chances of adds and often long times without anything. Ok now you got your pet and you want to try this and you think you've found the perfect spot. We'll now it's time to test it. 1)summon pet and put it on defencive stance. If you put your pet on agro it will in many cases inch up to the spawn point and this will increase your chance of adds. This also will often (though not always) make it so your character takes the first and most powerful hit. 2) starting outside the agro range of te mob walk towards it till it runs at you. If you can position your charater between your pet and the MoB. This will keep your pet and the MoB standing in the exact same spot which usually keeps your pet from attacking, though the MoB usually still does continue attacking. 3)sit and wait. Before I try a with total decay time i heal pet and loot to make sure that I get an idea of the level of spawns at a location. If you get three different XP amounts after some kills try letting your pet go and dont loot and dont heal. In general I have found that my zombie will heal full up between spawns if at the end of battle it has abit more than half it's health left. Nice thing about necro pets is in first round of attacks they cast a siphon life spell and an little slivers of health missing after last round are usually taken care of quickly as well as most of the cric hit. At this point I usually sit and watch for at least a half hour. Though an hour is better should you notice after this time that your pets health is slowly getting lowered in genral (even if at times it seems to go up temporarly) you should find another spot. K now ya got the basics. Well it can get more interesting too. I have set it up before at the levels where only one of the three levels of spawn giveing me experience so I set it up so that my pet was taking on 3 different spawn points at a time. However I dont recomend this, It took me 5 deaths and a clock with a second hand to get it just right, and if you think it's involved trying to find a single spawn point to do this imigine three. So anyway I hope this shed's some light on the subject. This is a terriblly involved process that can eat up some time (and for most I recomend finding a good group and grinding traditionally), and it also throws you completely at the mercy of other players. Part of the fun for me though is I like doing weird stuff in games like this, I get a kick out of breaking the mold and finding new ways of doing old tricks. But I add a fair warning if you dont follow these steps completely you will end up with debt not xp, I have burned away alot of debt refining this techique, but luckily I burned most of it while sleeping away....lol Some spots to try 'Early 20's' Cellar bats in crethley manor Castle Felstar - various spots along the area outside of the castle that lead to the docks (patrolling ghoul captain), as well as at least one spot within the castle for when you reach lvl 29. For higher levels (mid 30 mobs) undead rangers in W Mayfly glade (outside of a large wooden fort) Dwarf Battle Priests in the bottom of blackburrow (if you're a delf) AFK for Rogues! Here ya go Rogues find a green mob unequip your armor and weapon and everything else make sure you can stand there and take the hits. Set your abilities on your controller for your best pick pocket and goto bed. Free tunar, no damage and extreamly safe since things are green around you if you choose the right spot odds are even if you got ks'd you'll just end up sitting in a field somewhere. You dont have to search for the mob could do it all night on the same one. And yes it's not gunna get ya 100% pp it is free tunar. I figured this out with a new rogue toon I started and while soloing and heading for quests etc I pickpocket a green and train him while I travel and pp him every chance I get along he way. Driving AFKs I do some driving late at night on my tanks at gobs,tfg, frogs, pretty much whereever I want to drive at. The grps I typically look for is at least one macroing scholar (I prefer 2 so if one lds,freezes, ect), and a pyro. However, I have had some unusual afk grps I have drove for for example: had a macro nuking wizzy (assist leader macro) which basicly made it to; if I looked at it the wizzy nuked it. also had macro buffing and healing healers (also set up to assist leader and I just look at myself and I get heal and buff), One time had a rogue that I would pull to and he would kill mobs and the petters pets finished them if the mob ran. Now, one last part to this, and that is my rant bout peeps that make groups for driving with afk petters and going places that do not work (slayers by the coast), and/or getting my afk petter killed (not that I do not expect this). When I take petters to places I look for places that I can handle regardless if their macro's are going, also where roamers are not gonna kill me or them if I happen to take a break (in a 12 hour drive I will take breaks). I have met a few tanks that are worth a %$$^& when it comes to driving a group but more often then not it seems I just get with retards just looking to get 1 or 2 CMs and then leave me in a place to die with roamers (I know I should just not group with peeps in these areas and I doubt I will anymore). There are some general rules that I think are just common sense: Rules 1. YOU MAY DIE IF YOU GO AFK (just a fact of afking) 2. Afkers get no loot (great way to make cash if you are short and needs some fast loot) 3. Afkers do not get to "happen to notice that rare" and roll for loot see rule 2. 4. If your macro stops the leader (driver) has every right to boot your ass. 5. I have the right as the leader (driver) to boot a non macroer for a macroer that I know or stumbles upon my grp and is looking to macro afk. 6. If you ld or freeze or w/e and you get replaced if you log back in later that does not mean your place was gonna be held. 7. Last but not least other unknown factors can happen during a drive and it is the call of the driver to deal with the issues at hand, suck it up if you do not like the drivers decission at the time. 8. Rules can be added as needed and may affect the afk macroer at the time.